Thanks for taking the time to look at this.
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF):
My paid-off 2019 Honda Odyssey EX with 18,602 miles (29,938 km) is having transmission problems - really hard shifting, problems accelerating and decelerating, and clunking/knocking when shifting. Is this common? Have you heard anything about this? I'm living overseas at the moment for work - how would you go about addressing this? How big of a fight do I have ahead of me (how much antacid will I need to buy)?
Back story
So I have a 2019 Honda Odyssey I bought new from a Honda dealer in Dulles, Virginia (AutoNation Honda); wasn't the greatest experience but different story for different day. The vehicle has 18,602 miles (29,938 km). A little under a year ago I started noticing "hiccups" with the transmission while driving. I thought it was just me, but after a while it became apparent that there was something happening with the vehicle. It would shift extremely hard, sometimes even knocking with a clunk. Also, it wouldn't accelerate or decelerate properly on occasion. I contacted Honda about some other related issues that were related to a recall and mentioned this to them. I also mentioned that I currently live overseas with my job and had the vehicle shipped to me. It was at that time I found out that warranties are no longer valid once the vehicle leaves the United States....didn't know that little tidbit. They said any repairs would be out of pocket but if the vehicle gets sent back to the United States the warranty would start back up but only with the remaining years on it had the vehicle not been shipped out of the United States.
The issue only happens on occasion but its happened enough to finally get me angry. I did a quick Google search and found out that there has been an issue with the 2018/2019 transmission and the van going into park while driving. That isn't the issue I had. I did find, however, a lawsuit that a woman brought against Honda (Browning, et al., v. American Honda Motor Company., Inc, et al.) for the same exact issues my Honda is having ( https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2020/honda-odyssey-transmission-problems-cause-lawsuit.shtml ). Like I said, I'm currently living overseas on a contract for work so bringing it to the Honda dealership I purchased it from won't happen. There is a Honda dealership out here, however, with it being out of warranty I'd rather not have to drop $2,000 for a new transmission. From my research, it seems that's Honda's fix - putting in a new crappy transmission to replace the current crappy transmission (excuse my language). I've also read of instances where even with the new transmissions, the engine still blew around 25,000 miles.
I plan on contacting the Honda dealership where I purchased it from, but I'm not really expecting much. My wife and I were going over a few scenarios: selling it locally to someone after telling them about the transmission issue so we have full disclosure, parking it and waiting until Honda issues a full recall (good luck), or dumping money into it for inspections, replacements, all that stuff. What do you recommend sir and how much of a ruckus should I be raising because to say that I'm upset a brand new, paid off Honda is giving me mechanical problems is to put it mildly.
Thanks for your help.
Adding our gearbox expert @Dan
How long is your warranty? How many years? How much mileage? Will you be back in time for the warranty period?
It just baffles me that a vehicle with under 20K miles can have this problem. Excuse my ignorance but how does this happen - why hasn't Honda fixed their transmission. Now I'm just venting, but really, if their transmissions are crap, why haven't they done something with them? I was always told that Hondas and Toyotas are good as gold; does that no longer apply with the newer models?
Honda automatic transmissions have historically been weaker (compared to say Toyota’s). They are known for designing good, long lasting engines, but not necessarily the transmission (although their CVTs are good, but I am talking about regular automatic transmissions). Although here for the 2018/2019 Odyssey, they used a supplier’s transmission (in this case ZF who normally can make good transmissions) but it turned out to have issues apparently. This is also part of the reason Scotty and myself (and others here) warn members not to get the first few years of a new generation so we can see how everything pans out over time.
While Odysseys were known for transmission issues in the past, the newer ones were supposed to be better, so I am surprised that yours is having issues. Is there anyway you can have someone else take it in for you to make a warranty claim?
My warranty for the vehicle is 3 years (around 30K miles - I forget) and 5 years/60,000 miles for the power-train. I have about 1 year left on the vehicle's overall warranty, but about 3 left on the power-train. Current mileage is 18,602 miles (29,938 km). As far as being back in time for the warranty I don't know. It depends on if they extend my overseas contract. I've got about 14 months left on my current one, and if I get extended it will be for 2 years.
Just use the warranty to repair your transmission. It seems to be your only obvious choice…
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but don’t expect much. Honda cheaped out and used a fiat developed 9 speed.
This is the same transmission as in the nutritiously unreliable $25k FIAT 500X
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Usually these transmissions last about 90k miles but it just shows you the state that Honda is in, bad engines, bad profitability and lack luster quality.
@Dan it is ZF-designed 9 speed AT. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZF_9HP_transmission
@DayWalker
Yes, the 9ZF was designed for FCA
(FIAT), it’s under the ZF marque but they also have a history of building quite weak gearboxes (ignoring the famous 8ZF)
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(Unlike the 8ZF that was designed for Volkswagen Group and later used on BMW and FCA including the RR Phantom and Hellcat )
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I’ve been working on this pile of garbage since 2014, mostly on fiat built cars.
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It has the exact same issues as most fiat gearboxes, like under milling (shafts just collapsing) and much more absolutely terrible issues caused by bad design.
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I mean, it’s a very cheaply built unit, there used to be a weaker version named “9ZF28” and that one usually would last twice what the new “9ZF48”
The new one is rated to be able to take 480nm instead of 280nm but the new ones seem to be even less robust.
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It took both fiat build quality and German over-engineering to create this elaborated torture device…
Create as much of a stink as you can, on social media.
The Odyssey is notorious for transmission issues, unfortunately.
Unfortunately, those 9-speed ZF transmissions were problematic in those 2018/2019 Odyssey’s (and part of class action lawsuit) and part of the reason I don’t recommend to members to get that minivan. For 2020 model year, they switched to their own Honda designed 10-speed automatic, which jury is out on the reliability/longevity of those.
Honda won’t do anything, they’ve moved to a different transmission.
